Apparatus for texturizing yarns



May-6, 1969 I s. E. ROSS ETAL ,99

- APPARATUS FOR TEXTURIZING YARNS Filed Aug. 25, 1967 Sheet I or sINVENTORS STANLEY E. ROSS CHARLES P. MA'ZZONE CARL J. RUSSO ATTORNEY y6, 1969 s. E. RIOSSYV ETAL. v 3,441,990

APPARATUS FOR TEXTURIZ ING YARNS Filed Aug. 25,1967 7 Sheet 3 of slNVENTORS STANLEY E. ROSS CHARLES P. MAZZONE CARL J. RUSSO" BY mwwATTORNEY United States Patent O US. Cl. 281 16 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A crimping apparatus comprising a frame, a heated wheelrotatably attached to said frame and having two rows of peripheral.dents having openings in the sides thereof and a peripheral groovepositioned therebetween; a plurality of pins positioned in the saidopenings of adjacent dents; and endless crimping means adapted to engagesaid dents in said sprocket and having such diameter as to set withinthe said peripheral groove so as to pass over said pins; a tensionregulating roller for pressuring said crimping means; a drive roller forguiding said crimping means around said wheel whereby material to becrimped is passed between said crimping means and said pins.

This invention relates to improvements in crimping devices. In oneaspect this invention relates to a crimping apparatus highly desirablefor crimping fiber glass. In another aspect this invention relates to amethod for increasing the residence time and crimping pressure upontextile material being crimped without causing any crushing or damage tothe material.

In the past, many and various types of crimping devices for crimpingvarious substances have been developed but insofar as we are aware theseformerly known devices were not as efiicient or desirable in connectionwith the crimping of fiber glass materials. The apparatus of the subjectinvention is particularly adaptable to crimping glass yarns. Glassfibers exhibit a readiness to become abraded when either crushingpressure or frictional force is exerted thereupon.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the instant invention toprovide a crimping apparatus which eliminates any crushing of thematerial during the crimping operation;

Another object of this invention is to provide a crimping apparatuscapable of permitting the use of high pressures without the subsequentshearing or abrading of the filaments being crimped;

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a crimping apparatuswhich substantially increases the residence time of the material whilebeing crimped;

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a crimpingapparatus capable of automatically maintaining the material beingcrimped in alignment;

A still further object of this invention is to provide a crimpingmachine capable of handling bundles of fibers as well as individualfibers if so desired and in a single operation providing both verticaland lateral crimp or wave in the bundles;

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of acrimping apparatus which is simple in construction, highly durable,rapid in operation, and economical both to build and operate;

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill be readily appreciated as the same become better understood byreference to the following detailed description which is to beconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

3,441,990 Patented May 6, 1969 FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of acrimping apparatus embodying principles of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged isometric sectional view, somewhat diagrammatic incharacter showing the positioning of the yarn relative to the crimpingcomponents;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of various shaped pins;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of thisinvention embodying the principles thereof;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a third embodiment of thisinvention;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a fourth embodi ment of thisinvention.

Briefly, this invention relates to a crimping apparatus comprising aframe; a wheel means rotatably attached to said frame and having dentsalong the periphery thereof; heating means associated with said wheelfor controlling the temperature of said dents; an endless crimping meansadapted to cooperate with said dents in said wheel where- 'by a materialto be crimped is passed between said dents and said endless crimpingmeans; tension means for pres suring said endless crimping means againstthe said dents in said wheel.

With reference to FIGS. 1 through 4, the apparatus comprises a framestructure 1. Journaled substantially centrally of the frame structure 1is a wheel 3' having two rows of equally spaced dents 5 extendingperipherally around the circumference thereof. Thus, the wheel 3 issubstantially a relatively wide gear or sprocket wheel. The wheel can beheated externally by a heater 4 placed in the area of the dents as shownin FIG. 1, or the interior of the wheel can be hollow inside of whichthere can be placed a plurality of heating elements (not shown). Suchmeans for providing sufficient heat to the dents 5 are conventional andform no part of the inventive concept described herein.

A drive roller 7 is also journaled on frame 1 a predetermined distancefrom said wheel 3. The drive roller 7 is connected to a suitable sourceof power (not shown).

Trained over the drive roller 7 and the crimping wheel 3 is an endlesscrimping element 9. This endless crimping element in FIGS. 1-3 is madeup of a series of cross rods 11 spaced apart in keeping with the pitchof dents 5 on wheel 3, and of such diameter as to seat well within thespaces between adjoining dents. The rods 11 are linked together in anysuitable fashion as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Pins 13 are rotatably positioned between pairs of adjacent dents 5, thatis, a pin 13 connects with a dent on the inside of the wheel 3, wherebyit traverses a peripheral groove to be more fully described hereinbelow.One method for rotatably supporting these pins between the teeth 5 is toprovide apertures or openings 15 substantially near the crest of dents 5into which the pins are positioned.

These pins can assume any shape desired and as shown in FIG. 4 they canbe cylindrical, rectangular, triangular, hexagonal or the like. Thechoice of shape would depend on the crimp configuration desired in theyarn being textured.

A groove 17 is positioned around the periphery of the wheel between thetwo rows of dents 5. This groove provides a guide for fiber 2 during itspassage between the rods 11 and the pins 13.

In operation, fiber, preferably fiber glass 2, is introduced from pirn18 through guide means 19 into the groove 17. The fiber 2 passes overrods 11 and under pins 13. The drive roller and tension regulator means7 is actuated by a suitable power means (not shown) in order to rotatewheel 3. As the wheel 3 rotates the fiber is depressed between rods 11and pins 13. The fiber is passed around the :ircumference of the wheel 3which increases its resiience time. The pins 13 cooperate with the rods11 to provide a cushioning effect thereby enabling an equal stressdistribution to be provided to the fiber being crimped. As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 this action will produce a V crimp formation in the fiberas the pins in this embodiment are cylindrical in shape.

Ordinarily, there will be sufficient pressure exerted by the crimpingelement 9 on the yarn 2 to effectuate a crimp therein; however separate,tension regulator means such as idler rollers 29 and 31 operativelyconnected to a spring biasing means 32 and 34 respectively can beemployed to increase the pressure on the crimping element 9 whennecessary.

In the embodiment described in FIGS. 1-4 the material construction ofeither the rods 11 or the pins 13 is not critical. The rods and pins canbe formed of any suitable material so long as it provides sufficientrigidity to enable sufficient pressure to be exerted on the yarn topermit the crimping thereof. Suitable material may be wood, artificialresins, rubber, or the like. Both the rods and the pins may be made ofthe same or dissimilar material.

The crimped fiber 2 exits from the wheel 3 where it then passes througha guide means 21 to a suitable takeup device (not shown).

A second embodiment of this device is shown in FIG. 5. In thisembodiment the crimping element 9 comprises a belt 23 in lieu of therods 11 and pins 13. The belt 23 contains dents 24 which engage dents 25in wheel 27. Fiber 28 is introduced through guide means 40 between thebelt 23 and dents 25 on wheel 27 from supply source 26. The deviceaccording to this embodiment achieves equal stress distribution over thesurface of the fiber through the careful selection of the materials forforming the belt 23 and the wheel 27. The belt is made of asubstantially resilient material and the wheel of a substantiallynonresilient material. Suitable materials are described in US. PatentNo. 3,325,987.

The belt is in contact with the wheel over approximately half of itscircumference thereby substantially increasing the residence time of thefiber during the crimping operation. Other conventional gear crimpingdevices exhibit point-to-point contact which gives a relatively shortresidence time to the yarn which is being crimped. The wheel 27 alongwith dents 25 are heated internally whereby the fiber 28 is initiallymore easily deformed and also more easily set in the crimpedconfiguration than would be the case if it were being crimped bypoint-topoint contact as taught under prior art teachings. Since thedents 24 in belt 23 do not make a positive fit between the dents 25 inwheel 27, there will always be some clearance for the yarn to shiftwithout shearing or breakage of filament when pressure is applied underhigh temperatures. The belt passes the crimped fiber 28 from wheel 27through guide means 42 to a suitable take-up device (not shown). Thebelt then continues in a closed loop over idler rolls 29, 30 and 31respectively. The idler rollers 29 and 31 are positioned approximately180 apart adjacent wheel 27. A suitable drive means 41 rotates wheel 27in a clockwise direction so as to drive belt 23 in a counter clockwisedirection around wheel 27.

It will be understood that in this embodiment the shape of the dents inboth the wheel 27 and in the belt 23 can be varied to provide differentshaped crimps in the fibers.

With reference to FIG. 6 an embossing roll 34 is suitably positionedabove idler roll 31 on arm 36. Arm 36 is pivoted on a suitable support38. The embossing roll 34 through any suitable means is intermittentlybrought into engagement with idler roll 31 in order to re-emboss thedents 24 in belt 23 passing therebetween. By this means the amplitude ofthe crimps in the yarn being treated are maintained substantiallyuniform.

FIGURE 7 depicts yet another embodiment of this invention. In thisembodiment belt 23 passes over wheel 27,

4 idler roller 44 and idler roller 45 in its endless path. A tensionband 43 composed of any suitable material such as steel, hard rubber orthe like passes over belt 23 and around wheel 27 and pulley 46. Thisband increases the tension on belt 23 so as to provide sufficientcrimping pressure in the instances when the pressure exerted by idlerroll 31 is not suflicient to provide a crimp in the material beingtexturized. A tension adjusting means 47 such as a belt tightening screwis operatively connected with pulley 46 whereby the tension on belt 23can be regulated.

In summation the advantages garnered by one employing the method andapparatus of this disclosure are an increased residence time during thecrimping operation because of the elimination of point-to-point contactand also a minimum amount of crushing because of the movement of theyarn around the pins in the first embodiment and the use of a resilientbelt crimping means in the second embodiment. These devices permit easycontrol of crimp amplitude by a slight modification of the chain releasein embodiment 1 and in the height of the dents 24 in the belt 23 inembodiment 2.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than asspecifically de scribed herein.

What is claimed is:

1. A crimping apparatus comprising a frame; a wheel means rotatablyattached to said frame and having dents along the periphery thereof;heating means associated with said wheel for controlling the temperatureof said dents; an endless crimping means adapted to cooperate with atleast two of said dents in said wheel whereby a material to be crimpedis passed between said dents and said endless crimping means; an endlesstension band positioned around said endless crimping means forpressuring said endless crimping means against the said dents in saidwheel and a tension regulator means operatively connected to said bandfor regulating the tension thereof.

2. A crimping apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said endlesscrimping means includes a. substantially resilient belt having dentssuitably positioned therein to cooperate with said dents positioned insaid wheel.

3. A crimping apparatus according to claim 1 wherein tension regulatingmeans include a belt tightening screw.

4. A crimping apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said tensionregulator means includes a first idler means positioned adjacent to saidwheel; a second idler means positioned adjacent to said wheelapproximately from said first idler means; a third idler meanspositioned with respect to said wheel, to said first and to said secondidler means so as to form a closed loop for said endless crimping meanspassing around said wheel means over said first idler means over saidsecond idler means and back to said wheel means.

5. A crimping apparatus according to claim 4 further including a drivemeans associated with said wheel.

6. A crimping apparatus according to claim 5 further including anembossing means associated with said first idler means whereby saidcrimping belt is reimbossed as it passes over said first idler means.

7. A crimping apparatus according to claim 6 further includingdisengaging means associated with said embossing means for disengagingsaid embossing means from said first idler means.

8. A crimping apparatus comprising a frame; a wheel means rotatablyattached to said frame and having two rows of peripheral dents, saiddents having openings in the sides thereof, and a peripheral groovelocated between said two rows of dents; heating means associated withsaid wheel means for controlling temperature of said dents; a pluralityof pins positioned in the said openings of adjacent dents whereby saidpins traverse said groove; an endless crimping means adapted to engagesaid dents in said wheel means and having such diameter as to seatwithin the said peripheral groove so as to pass over said pins; atension regulator means for pressuring said endless crimping meansagainst the plurality of pins.

9. A crimping apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said tensionregulator means include a first spring biased roller operativelyconnected to said wheel and a second spring biased roller operativelyconnected to said wheel a predetermined distance from said first roller.

10. A crimping apparatus according to claim 6 including a guide meansfor guiding said endless crimping means around the wheel wherebymaterial to be crimped passed between the endless crimping means and thepins.

11. A crimping apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said guide meansincludes a drive roller positioned apart from said wheel whereby saidcrimping means forms a closed loop in passing over said wheel and saiddrive roller.

12. A crimping apparatus according to claim 8 where- 14. A crimpingapparatus according to claim 8 where in said pins have a hexagonalshape.

15. A crimping apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said pins have arectangular shape.

16. A crimping apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said pins have atriangular shape.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1956 Shattuck.

LOUIS K. RIMRODT, Primary Examiner.

